Comparison and evaluation of fruit traits of Camellia oleifera ‘Changlin’ in Jiangxi Province

Abstract Oil camellia (Camellia oleifera) is an oil-bearing crop. Jiangxi Province is the second-largest oil-camellia producing region in China. The performance of varieties across different regions of Jiangxi Province was evaluated. Ten areas were selected, and the fruit morphology, weight, moisture content, and primary economic traits of five ‘Changlin’ oil camellia varieties were analysed. Differences in varieties and fruit characteristics in different regions were observed. CL53 had the greatest fruit size, fruit weight, moisture content in the pericarp and fresh seeds, and 100-fresh seed and -dry seed weight. The seed kernel-to-fruit weight, ranked from highest to lowest, was: CL53 (35.10%), CL3 (33.28%), CL18 (30.95%), CL4 (30.17%), and CL40 (28.38%). The weight of dried kernel to fresh fruit (DK/FF) was: CL18 (16.32%), CL53 (13.37%), CL3 (13.18%), CL40 (12.23%), and CL4 (10.25%). Principal component analysis indicated that all five varieties ranked within the top 10 for overall performance. In certain regions, CL18 and CL3 can be prioritized as replacement varieties. The regional adaptability and performance of ‘Changlin’ oil-camellia varieties can be used to optimize variety selection and configuration to enhance oil-camellia production in Jiangxi Province.